I'm driving in NYC! I can se the freaking Statue of Liberty! I can't believe I'm here. OMG, I'm driving in NYC. Wow lanes are small here.. I don't know if this huge truck and I are in the same lane or not but we are both still moving, so it must be ok!!

And after a drive on Long Island Express (which I'm told is a LIE in rush hour), I arrive at Fairy Jen's house. woohoo! Jen is one of my favorite people. I've know her virtually since 2004 and met her in person last year when her husband was remodeling their home and she came and stayed with me twice on her own couch surfing adventures with her girls in tow.

When I arrive, Jen, Vivi, Lily and Liam are all outside with Boris (their massive dog) and Lily sporting around in her brand new birthday battery operated jeep. SWEET. Jen had just received the news that morning at the doctor that Lily was deaf

. Life was the normal, upside down and the remodel was not complete so there was bare floors and cardboard through the house and a huge whole in the back yard where the basement and deck would be.

I didn't care, I would gladly sleep on the cold airbed and use the leaky shower to spend time with my favored Fairy Jen. It was my first time to meet her other half, John. He was funny, wondering why on earth, his wife invited an "internet friend" into their home for 5 days!!

We slept in the next morning before dragging ourselves out shopping for provisions. Jen is one of many who spoiled me. I don't remember the market name, but it was full of healthy choices and she stuffed her cart with everything that sounded yummy for me. Then it was off to the dress shop to look for something special for a "date night" for Jen. It was a bummer that we didn't find anything on that trip. Next to the "mystic warrior" where I purchased an energy crystal and prompty lost it at Jen's house. Hey, with all that's going on at Jen's house, she needs it more than I do.

That night, John took me out sight seeing. I got a drive in his '67 Chevy with bench seats!! We saw Harry Chapin's grave. I love Harry Chapin's music. One of his crew was there paying respects and we visited for a bit. Then it was for a drive around the lake, which had me longing for another day with paints. We saw a car that John was lusting over and he taught me about NY traffic. Did you know that learning to say Fugginasshole was a basic requirement to get your license in the state? John was very restrained in his driving but he did have chew marks up and down his arm when we returned home

Another night, I was the baby-sitter and let Jen and John have a night out. Oh my.. I think I failed miserably. Liam brought back memories of a colicky Preston who I once threatened his Mama to "take this baby before I shake him to death!" Liam was inconsolable. He stayed attached to my hip as I fed the girls and changed the girls and put them to bed. I occassionally sat him down momentarily when both of my hands were required for a task and in those moments, he would wail. The girls were angels so self contained and with a few art supplies, just happy little campers. I was tickled when Vivi drew a picture of me and even wrote my name across it with just one missing letter and 2 letters transposed. That picture became my album cover! Bedtime was another story. Vivi realized that her precious Wiggles picture was missing! "Wiggles, I need Wiggles!" in a perfect Mr. Bill impersonation, had me rolling on the floor but unable to resolve the missing Wiggles. I remembered Jen putting it in her purse earlier and wiggles would be be available until Jen returned. In the middle of the discussion, Jen called and asked how things were going and I said "I need Wiggles!" I must have sounded very flustered because Jen and John came home shortly after only a short outing. I hated them calling their evening short but they insisted that they had got to enjoy the car show and a meal and it was good

. I told Jen that for the first time, I got it... She has a 4 year old autistic child, a 3 year old deaf child and a colicky baby. God Bless Her!!!!

The next day we had a big outing. Jen took me to the Hampton's to see how the rich and famous live. The beach was deserted. I loved the patterns in the white sand and Jen found a huge crab shell. Pictures were fun. I was really surprised by how small the strip of land was, with water on both sides and homes and nightclubs located on the small strip.

Next was wine tasting at the Duckwalk Vineyard. I highly recommend it! I even bought a t-shirt! We bought blueberry wine and white Aphrodite wine and more.. a case of wine came home with us. I put a bottle of Aphrodite in the trunk to travel from NY to CA where it would be a present for Deb who embodies Aphrodite.

At home that night, we drank wine while making Lily's birthday cake, a sand castle with sugar cone towers, crushed vanilla wafer and brown sugar sand and chocolate shells. The next day, the cake was a huge hit in the classroom. The afternoon, we whizzed through the grounds of the Vanderbilt Museum without paying admission

. It was a limited schedule and sneaking across the grounds gave us some fun and excitement.

We ended the week with a lazy day of hanging out in pajama's, hosting another radio show and walking thought the park. What a glorious park, complete with HUGE tulips, bigger than Jen's hands in an array of colors. That night, we cooked up some delicious salmon before I headed out in the morning.

I made arrangements with another internet friend to meet in Port Jefferson for a quick visit before I got on the ferry to CT. As I drove, a birdhouse sanctuary of sorts caught my eye and I stopped to see some whimsical birdhouses. In Port Jefferson, Wolfgang recognized me immediately and called out to me and introduced me to his 8 year old son. We went looking store to store in that quaint town for his son to find the perfect mother's day gift and failed at our attempt to discourage him for buying the gaudy bauble necklace. It was reported back to me that Mom LOVED the necklace and son got to say "I told you, so."